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What is CSA?

CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. It has
become a way for people to buy a "share" of a farmers crop containing local,
fresh, seasonal produce. Generally, the crop shares contain vegetables, and some
farms include fruits, eggs, meats, or even homemade products. It all depends on
the farm that you decide to receive shares from. Customers can purchase a
membership for a CSA crop share at particular farms and in return, each week,
they will receive a bag of a variety of freshly grown produce.

Advantage for farmers:

ØPromotion of their farms and the crops they
produce

ØReceive payment early in the growing season,
helps with cash flow for compost, irrigation supplies and other expenses that
come with working on a farm

Advantages for customers:

ØEat healthy

ØSave money

ØSupport local farms

ØExperiment with new foods and recipes

ØPreserve and store food to use even when the
crop share ends for the season

ØGet to know where their produce is coming from
and learn about how the food is grown

At Independent Health, we participate with the CSA
program at Porter Farms. Right now is the perfect time to sign up for a membership
to receive crop shares. Click this link to learn more: http://www.porterfarms.org/join/4548268435.
After signing up you are all set to begin receiving crop shares from late June
to November! Porter Farms attempts to have a variety of about 6 to 10 different
vegetables in each bag every week and any fruit that is harvested will be
included. Porter Farms has a 10 acre orchard and in the past fruits such as
Asian pears, apples, peaches and raspberries have been available. At first, the
cost may seem daunting, but over the course of 22 weeks it comes out to under
18 dollars per week. That's less than $5.00 per person if there are 4 people in
your family! If the share contains too much food for you to use
during the week consider sharing with a friend or a family member. Splitting
the share can help to eliminate food waste and reduce costs! Through this
CSA membership you are able to help support a local farm and in exchange, you
will receive 22 weeks of fresh, certified organic produce throughout the
growing season. For more information about the CSA at Porter farms click here: http://www.porterfarms.org/

There are community pick-up sites in the both the Buffalo
and Rochester areas, as well as at Porter Farms location on 5020 Edgerton Road
in Elma. The members in Buffalo will choose a community pick-up area that is
convenient for them, and then each member takes a turn driving to the farm to
pick-up everyone's shares for that community location on Saturday mornings.
This is a great opportunity to see the beautiful farm and exactly where the
produce is coming from! In the Buffalo area the community pick-up sites
include:

- Auburn Avenue, Buffalo

- Eaglebrook Dr., West Seneca

- Wesley Avenue, North Buffalo

- Lexington Avenue, Buffalo

-
Deerhurst Park Blvd., Kenmore

-
W. Girard Boulevard, Kenmore

-
Lakeview Parkway, Lockport

-
North Buffalo Site #2 (TBA)

-
3269 Main Street (St. Joseph University Parish)

-
Exchange Street, Alden

- Meadowstream Court, Amherst

-
Seminole Parkway, Cheektowaga

-
Zion Lutheran Church, Clarence Center

-
Christopher Boulevard, Hamburg

-
Coriander Court, East Amherst

-
E. Girard Boulevard, Kenmore

-
Grand Island (TBA)

-
South Huxley, Amherst

-
St. Christopher's Parish, Tonawanda

-
Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Buffalo

For the members located in Rochester, Porter Farms will
deliver the produce to the community pick-up locations. In Rochester the
community pick-up sites include:

- Centennial Avenue, Brockport -
Pershing Drive, Rochester

- Bellaqua Estates Court, Chili -
Greece Canal Park

- Genesee Park Blvd., Rochester -
Dewey Avenue, Fairpoint

- Crossroads Lane, Greece -
Field Street, Rochester

- Timber Brooks Lane, Penfield -
Wind Tree Circle, Pittsford

- Citation Drive, Henrietta -
Whiteford Road, Rochester

- Biltmore Drive, Irondequoit -
Imperial Driver, Webster

- Brookwood Rd., Brighton

There are many resources to find fun and unique recipes for
both the familiar and unfamiliar items in your share. If you love trying new
recipes and are looking to eat healthier this summer CSA crop sharing would be
perfect for you! Get all your family and friends on board with thinking of
creative ways to use the items in your share each week. Here are some ideas of
what to do with crop share items:

ØFreeze some fruit items to use for a smoothie

ØCut up vegetables for a quick and healthy snack

ØSearch the web to learn how to prepare
unfamiliar food items

ØVegetables can be eaten raw, roasted,
stir-fried, added to a soup, or use them to create different types of pesto or
hummus. The list goes on-and-on.